Fact Compiler "deeply sorry" - Shocker

The Fact Compiler today apologised to the literally millions of people, now mostly dead, who were in any way hurt or offended by the following:

The death of Sir William Huskisson, the Tay Bridge Disaster and the BR Modernisation Plan.

The Fact Compiler said he was "deeply sorry" and that he hoped the apology would help "heal the pain".

Sid and Doris Bonkers welcomed the apology saying "This is a moment - a significant moment - in the history of the railways. The recognition is vital if people are to recover."

Lord Adonis is expected to jump on the same bandwagon shortly.

Poltrhoon?

Good news for the incredulous.

Geoff Hoon is again trying to shift the blame for above inflation fares increases onto TOCs

This from today's Times:

Mr Hoon said that he had urged the main train companies “to bear in mind the difficult economic circumstances when setting their fares”.

A source at the Department for Transport said Mr Hoon was disappointed that most companies had chosen to ignore him.

If only we could Buff, if only we could.

Let's be clear.

It is Government policy that regulated fares rise annually by RPI+1.

Unregulated fare increases are notionally at the discretion of TOC's.

But they are set in line with Government policy which seeks to reduce taxpayer support to the railway by increasing passenger contributions.

If Geoff Hoon were really serious about curtailing increases to unregulated fares he could instruct his Civil Servents to issue appropriate directions and guidance to TOCs; the same TOC's whose franchises are let and managed by his own Department.

In the meantime Hoon's continued pretence that this has nothing to do with him is beginning to look more and more craven.

Gordon is a moron

Splendid news. The Prime Minister shares passenger outrage over fares increases.

This extra-ordinary statement was quoted in Saturday's Daily Telegraph:

'A spokesman for Gordon Brown said "It is clear that passengers have concerns about the value for money they receive from train companies. It is a matter for the rail companies to explain why they have made the decisions they have made".'

The Fact Compiler is speechless.

UPDATE: The Fact Compiler is grateful to a distinguished Railway Eye reader for the following:

"The tragedy of much government mishandling of the industry is that no-one - including Atoc, which is meant to be their industry association, for goodness' sake - is willing to make a fuss about it.

"First got plenty of stuff wrong on Great Western but they also took flak that should rightly have gone to the government for the reassignment of the Class 158s to areas that just happen to have lots of Labour MPs.

To quote (in expurgated fashion) Bunk, the coolest detective in cult TV series The Wire, "Sometimes it makes me sick how far we done fell."

Quite so.